Hillsboro plans to spend more on TriMet passes for employees

Mike Zacchino/The OregonianRiders wait for a MAX train at a light-rail stop on North Interstate Boulevard in Portland

Hillsboro leaders are expected Tuesday to approve spending more this year on TriMet passes for all city workers -- though last year only 1 in 4 eligible employees used them.

The TriMet PASSport program allows the city a deep discount to buy one-year, 24-hour, all-zone passes for all elected officials and employees who work at least part time and live in Oregon.

Last year, the city paid $67.80 for each of its 535 eligible employees. After discounts for upfront payment, the city paid a total of $34,461, according to the city's human resources manager, Debbie Hazel.

Of the 535 TriMet passes the city bought for all employees, 149 workers actually received one. The count does not include police officers, who already ride TriMet for free.

The other 386 passes remained at City Hall unused.

TriMet’s PASSport Program

TriMet has individual contracts with other public agencies. Here is a look at where contracts stand:

Signed contracts:-Washington County-Multnomah County

Pending contracts:-City of Beaverton-City of Hillsboro-Metro

Existing automatically-renewing accounts:-City of Portland-Clackamas County-Portland Public Schools-Beaverton School District

SOURCE: TriMet

The city contends that more passes would have been used if it had not required that employees pay a share of the cost -- $35 for the yearly pass.

Under a proposed contract, the employee buy-in would be eliminated to encourage use, said city sustainability manager Peter Brandom. The proposal would cover passes for September 2012 through August 2013.

"We can make the recommendation to just stop, or we can say, look – incentivize it. That's the path we've chosen," Brandom said. "We are very thoughtful about it every year and we decided to give a great incentive."

If the program is approved, Hillsboro will buy 554 passes for eligible employees. At the new TriMet rate of $80.56 per pass, the city's cost, including discounts, will grow to $43,290 -- an increase of $8,829.

Under TriMet's rules, the city must buy a pass for every eligible employee, not just those who want one. The city maintains it is still getting a good deal because a one-year, adult pass for all zones costs $1,100 at market rate.

That means if the city had bought passes last year for just the 149 employees who wanted them, it would have cost $163,900 instead of $34,461.

The program is also an investment, Brandom said, for the city's sustainability goals. Many private-sector companies offer the perk, in addition to a handful of other public agencies in the metro area.

"This is a really important benefit to employees and an important tool in our efforts to reduce single-occupancy (driving)," Brandom said.

The city has participated in TriMet's PASSport program since the 1998-99 fiscal year. The city gave out passes for free that first year, and has charged from $5 to $35 since. Employee participation has varied, from roughly 28 percent to about 50 percent over the last decade.

The Hillsboro City Council will consider the latest proposal in the consent agenda at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Hillsboro Civic Center Auditorium, 150 E. Main St.